SPORTING

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23740, 11 September 1942, Page 7

SPORTING

ASHBURTON RACES TO-MORROW’S PROSPECTS Spring racing in the South Island will be opened by the Ashburton County Racing Club's fixture to-morrow. The fields are all well filled, without any being unwieldy, and with some good class horses engaged in all grades, the racing should be of a high order. The track will no doubt be firm, and under the win and place system the following horses should race prominently:— County Hurdles.—Donadea, Rockery. Novice Stakes.—Kurawhi, Junior, Aquitane. Selma Trot.—Courtcard, Bonny Axworth, Larissa. Ashburton Handicap.—Don’t Forget, Good Scout, Wardress. John Grigg Stakes.—Foxhaven, Warrigal, John Gay. Penscroft Hack Handicap.—Eramble, Court Dress. Milton Abbas. Spring Handicap.—Stabilise, Straight Hat. Hurry Girl. . Rakaia Trot. —Sandstone, Communique, Canister. WELLINGTON T.C. TO-MORROW’S PROSPECTS The Wellington Trotting Club’s meeting which will’ be held on the Trentham racecourse to-morrow is attracting widespread interest, and a big number of Canterbury horses will be competing. Under the wln-and-place system of betting the following horses should race well:— Army Handicap: Safari. Axworth. Highrate. United Nations Handicap: Gallant Navy. Lockheed, Air Speed. Roosevelt Handicap: Great Deceiver. Certify, Highland Scott. Churchill Handicap; Yon Yan, Captain Morant, Symphony. ■. Navy Handicap: Buncrana, Willie Winkle, Parfaite. Air Force Handicap: Radical. Lucky Gem, Golden Shadow. United States Fleet Handicap; Free Bond. Great Deceiver, Audition. Home Guard Handicap; Mahoe, Captain Morant, Dan’s Pride. TURF GOSSIP Track Work at Riccarton Although there was some rain at Rlccarton yesterday it did not interfere with training. The trial grass was again open and some useful - work was executed on it by horses engaged at Ashburton tomorrow. Atreusj was the first out. and with Tutere as a mate for five furlongs, covered a mile In Imin 44 1-ssec, the first half in 50 2-ssec. Atreus was stopping near the finish, and Tutere finished two lengths in front of him. Half-mile Sprints Half-mile tasks were carried out by Sonneteer and Turkish Patrol In 50 2-5 see. Eulogist and Aquitane in 51 1-5 sec. Chiding 51 3-ssec.- King Herod and Junior In 51 2-ssec. and Stabilise 51 4-ssec, Warrigal and Nightglass in 52 2-ssee, Lord Advocate and Recompense in 52 2-ssec, Warfield in 53 3-ssec, and Willow Wood in 53sec. Over Five Furlongs Straight Bat ran five furlongs in Imin 4sec, the last four in 50 - 2-ssec. Court Dress and Imperlum went over the same ground in Imin 5 2-ssec. Cheap Lodging and Gay Fort took Imin 5 3-5 sec, and Palfrey and Royal Writ Imin 6 2-ssec. Useful Work St. Cloud easily beat Hurry Girl over six furlongs in Imin 17sec, the last four in 51sec, and Wedding Ring and Eramble covered the same journey in Imin 16 3-Ssec, the last four in 52 4-5 sec. Don’t Forget strode over seven furlongs in Imin 28 3-ssec, the last four in 50 3-5' sec, and his stable-mate, Foxhaven, followed in Imin 30 l-ssec, the last four in 51 4-ssec. Gay Parade recorded inlln 30sec, the last four in 52 4-Ssec. Shikari galloped a mile-in Imin 45sec after taking slsec for the first half. Good Scout and Kllcato took Imin 47 sec for a similar task, the first half in 52 l-ssec. Wardress ran a mile in Imin 44sec, the first half in 51sec. Over Hurdles Nuturoa jumped four hurdles well, but at a slow pace. . . Riders at Ashburton Riding engagements have been made as follows for to-morrow’s programme at Ashburton:—P. Spratt. Desert Love, Don't Forget, Imperium, King Herod A. Messervy, Eulogia, Straight Bat, Royal Writ, Bramble, Good Scout: C. Wilson, Eulogist, Foxhaven*, Wardress: L. J. Ellis, Atreus, Junior, John Gay, Stabilise; A. Anderson, Sonneteer: C. Mackie, Shikari. St. Cloud, Lord Advocate; J. Jennings, Turkish Patrol, Gay Parade; V. Barrington, Pallid, Nightglass: I. Walther, Adina; D. Thistoll. Arabian Night; D Stewart, Nuturoa: W. F. Ellis, Wedding Ring, Symbol: A. Williams. Lincoln; H Were, Bramhall; K. Ford, - Hurry Girl; C. Stokes, Inquisitor: A. Didham, Court Dress, Warrigal; A. Leach, Donadea; M Bllllngton, Night Hawk; B. Brodie, Mybel: K. Wilson. Lady Midian. For the Stud Serenata, winner of the New Zealand Cup two years ago. has been retired to the stud and will be mated with Defoe. Wellington Racing Club "We have a lot to be thankful for In that in spite of the troubled times we have been privileged to enjoy an almost complete season of racing at Trentham,” stated the president, Mr E, L. Rlddl-jr-rd, at the annual meeting of the Wellington Racing Club this week. He said that transport difficulties had not had any appreciable effect on the strength of the fields and there had been no lack of support by owners. As a result the club had been able to stage some highly interesting contests. From a financial aspect, it had been the best season the club had had for many years. For the nine days' racing the totalisator had handled £813,510, an average turnover of more than £90,000 a day. This had been a record for the club, and, in consequence, the year’s operations had resulted in a substantial surplus. After writing off £4758 11s Id for depreciation of assets and making provision for income tax and social and national security tax to the extent of £14,500, £6541 Is 8d remained for distribution to patriotic funds. Membership ( Fees A notice of motion at the annual meeting of the Wellington Racing Club suggesting that owing to the reduction in the number of days’ racing at Trentham membership fees for the 1042-43 season be reduced from five guineas to three and from three to two, according to basis of membership, was productive of a lengthy discussion. It was pointed out that in the 1940-41 season members had been furnished with eight days of racing instead of the customary 11; in the last season they had had nine; and in the current term provision, had been made for seven days. Several speakers contended mat it would be a retrograde step and that the club's profits to be devoted to patriotic purposes would be affected, Finally an amendment that a postal ballot be laKcn to ascertain the views of the COO members not present at the meeting was earned on a show of hands. The Melbourne Cup In a period of 81 years horses have been weighted at 10-0 or more in the Melbourne Cup on 24 occasions, but 13 of these cases occurred more than 50 years ago, and in only two instances— Archer 10-2 and Carbine 10-s—has a horse so burdened been a winner. In more recent years only one horse has scored with 10-0. Thai was Poitrel in 1920. The highest weight ever allotted in the Melbourne Cup was 11-7, given to The Barb away back in the sixties. When Carbine won the Melbourne Cup in 1890 he carried 10-5, but when he returned to Flemington he failed under 10-12 The biggest load carried in the race since was Ph-ar Lap's 10-10. The record weight for a mare was the 10-5 awarded Wakeful. Now that Kindergarten, Beau Vite, and Beaulivre have dropped out, Skipton, last year’s winner with 7-7, will head the weights with 9-2.